Palabres sans Frontieres association, founded in 1995, is an association that is involved in international solidarity actions and intercultural exchange. It does this through solidarity tourism, creating awareness on solidarity tourism and preparing interested tourists for the journey.
The association supports and finances sustainable development projects, particularly in Senegal, with the support of the Midi Pyrenees region and the Regional Development Agency of Thies (Senegal).
The association organizes solidarity trips in compliance with the charter on fair tourism:
- Respect for the local people, their culture and environment
- Providing support for local projects
- Equitable redistribution of resources generated
The birth of the fair tourism project at Keur Samba Yacine
The association has been in partnership with Keur Samba Yacine village since 2003, through the participation and involvement of various local actors. This partnership and support received from the Midi Pyrenees region facilitated the construction of a medical centre in the village. This development work also led to the creation of a work camp for the youths in the village. Between 2003 and 2006, when the medical centre was opened, 44 French tourists stayed in Keur Samba Yacine, integrating themselves in the daily lives of the villagers. The richness of the intercultural exchange and the need to ensure that the villagers were able to manage the medical centre independently as they do not receive help from the government, led to the construction of a guest lodge. The guest lodge was built to welcome tourists interested in supporting development projects.
The aim is to ensure that villagers are not dependent on a single activity i.e. fair tourism hence the need to develop traditional activities (farming, handicrafts, livestock farming) so that the village can independently finance the acquisition of social amenities.
Our Experience
We have been able to organise more than 27 solidarity trips for the past 9 years
More than 65850 Euros have been invested in development projects since 2003
To read the testimonies of those who have participated in our trips go to ‘Testimonies’